The storage of energy is a difficult issue that plagues high energy consumption industries and the electricity production industry, among others. For instance, conventional systems do not perform well for storing wind-generated electrical energy, solar-generated electrical energy, or electrical energy generated by any other source, for that matter. Accordingly, several states in the United States, as well as the United States Department of Defense and Department of Energy, have instituted programs to develop energy storage capabilities.
With respect to industrial energy creation, industries such as steel, aluminum, and cement dump millions of thermal megawatts into the atmosphere hourly, which is simply wasted. With respect to electrical power generation, demand for power is not always constant, but instead varies considerably and experiences peaks and troughs. There is generally little flexibility in the level of electricity generation and thus, when there is a peak in demand, auxiliary power generation schemes have to be deployed. These auxiliary power generation schemes tend to be less efficient than the primary generation system, and generators such as gas turbines may have to be powered up for half an hour or more to reach optimal electrical generation capabilities, and then be run for hours in order to comply with regulations. In addition, when there is a trough in demand, power may have to be dumped. Accordingly, a system that can store thermal energy and put the stored thermal energy to productive use may be beneficial.